Athletics Kenya Introduces Cool-Core Training for Heat Adaptation

To prepare for hotter global competitions, Athletics Kenya launched Cool-Core Training on June 18, 2025—pre-cooling athletes with ice vests and cold-water immersion before heat sessions, improving performance by 4.2% in trials. You can’t avoid heat—but you can outsmart it, said physiologist Dr. Evans Kipkoech. Used at the Kip Keino Classic, it reduced core temp spikes by 1.3°C. World Athletics is piloting the protocol for the 2026 World Champs in Tokyo (avg. 32°C). All national camps now include Cool-Core modules.